Guildhall Young Artists Online Developing Jazz Improvisation

About Developing Jazz Improvisation

If you already have some jazz skills, this in-depth course will help you take your improvising to the next level. You’ll learn and focus on some of the harmonic, melodic and rhythmic elements of jazz that will unlock your creativity and help you forge your own path to becoming an accomplished jazz musician.

Who is it for?

Anyone aged 11–18 interested in developing their existing jazz skills and moving their playing forwards.  

What can I expect? 

Each week you will be given the tools to develop your understanding of the music and practical exercises to develop your improvising, including transcription and listening tasks throughout the course. There will be the chance to work in break-out rooms, receive some one-to-one teaching and one-off workshops from leading jazz players.

By the end of the course, you will: 

• Play and construct lines on interesting functional chord progressions with a strong sense of resolution
• Treat dominant chords according to their function
• Produce syncopated lines with a good time-feel
• Hear the major modes and be able to improvise with them
• Identify chord types plus extensions
• Be familiar with the sound of the melodic minor scale and be able to play it

Course Outline

Term one 
You will learn a range of harmonic building blocks and how to negotiate them. There will be jazz specific aural training and challenging repertoire to learn by ear. There will also be a special workshop from leading jazz educator Issie Barrett.

Term two
You will learn some of the grooves that are prominent in jazz and how to get your playing ‘in the pocket’. You’ll examine how dominant chords work in jazz and the idea of resolving your lines effectively and understanding voice leading. 

Term three
You will learn the major modes, and how they function in jazz. There’ll be a look at the Melodic Min scale and its modes, and take a deeper dive into rhythm, phrasing and syncopation in your lines

Please note that class content is subject to change.
 

About the Course Tutor

Jez Franks is a Jazz guitarist and educator. He led his own quartet Compassionate Dictatorship for many years, producing three albums of original material and touring regularly. He has played, recorded and toured with a variety of leaders and ensembles including, most recently the band Solstice (appearing on the albums Alimentation and Food for Thought). He currently teaches jazz guitar and pedagogy at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and GYA Norwich and has taught and examined at most of the UK’s leading Conservatoires for over 30 years.

“…a staggering improvisational force” All about Jazz website

Do I need anything?

• An email address 
• A reliable internet connection 
• A computer/laptop/tablet with a microphone and a camera. Please note: attending on a phone is not recommended. 
• An instrument (and amplifier if appropriate)
• Your browser fully updated to be able to use the most recent version of Zoom (if using an Apple device we recommend installing a browser such as Google Chrome or Mozilla). 

The following items are recommended, but optional: 

• Headphones 
• Manuscript paper and a pencil 

Please ensure you are able to work in a well-lit and quiet environment so that your tutor is able to fully assess your work and performance.